I have a problem...

[Will-Mun]

So, as people who have been following my previous threads know, I got a job at ACME, I don't know when I start, and the woman said Orientation will be, at the soonest, the 19th. But I HAVE the job.

Night Stock, frozen food section. It's a good job, no customers, no dress code, and a decent pay (8.75/h). But I am having some... hessitance. I've never DONE night stock, and I know it can be a daunting job. Not only that but I'm gonna be ALONE on this job, which is good and bad... Sure I'm alone so I won't be bothered, but if I get stuck somewhere nobody is gonna be able to help me.

But whatever, I have the job, any reservations is just jitters right?

So my Girlfriend came down yesterday to visit me, and I took her to the Radio Shack I used to work... I started talking to my ex-manager...

She offered me a job.

Thats right, my old boss wants me to work at Radio Shack again. Some of the old members will know I HATED working there... But thats something I know I can DO. It's stable...

The problem is... I'm actually CONSIDERING it.

I don't know what to do...

[draftermatt]

Would it be possible to do both? If one's during the day, other at night...
You could work there until you start at Acme, and leave whichever you don't like.

Really though, you have to ask why you left Radio Shack. If you hated it why would you want to do it again? Is it soley because you are worried about doing something new, or something else?

While there's nothing wrong with doing what you know, getting stuck in a rut is never fun or good for you. If you couldn't stand the place what makes you think it will be better this time around?

[Kiwi]

Some of the old members will know I HATED working there

That would be your answer right there. Something familiar even if you hate it is one of the reasons people are stuck in jobs they hate. Give the stocking a chance, if you dont like it you can go back to a job you know you hate.

But to me thats messed up.... you know you will hate it....

[ladyklack]

A bit of my own perspective here, I hope it can help you decide. I worked for a camera company for 5 years (shares its name with a hotel chain).

I HATED every minute of working there, yet I always felt personally commited to the company. I gave my notice twice in those five years and recinded it both time. I finally got the balls to leave a couple of years ago, best decision I ever made.

Unfortunately, I still know alot of people in the company. Many of my former coworkers have been promoted to management positions since I left. I get asked pretty regularly (even 2 years later) to come back and work there again.

Have I considered it? YES
Have I done it? NO

and everytime I have a brief moment of sanity, I'm sooooo glad that I still don't work there.

[Knightmare]

Will-Mun, come talk to me or Darth about leaving RadioShack for good.
I left 16 months ago and never looked back.
I don't have to worry about meeting impossible sales goals.
I don't have to be a cell phone shark.
I don't have to drive to a monthly district meeting to be berated about how I'm not selling enough phones.
I don't have to close the store alone every night.
I don't have to worry about coworkers stealing sales.
And I don't have to worry about selling credit cards, service plans, "batt-rees" to old people, repackaging returned merchandise, etc.

If you have any more questions or doubts, go here:
www.radioshacksucks.biz

Okay, that's just my opinion. I was there for over 6 years and saw the company go downhill each and every year.

[Will-Mun]

Right well, here's the thing. My boss said things have CHANGED. (Which probably means they haven't.) And there is no more commision. You still get spiffs and shit, and a bonus spiff if you're able to sell 75% an hour.

Translation, they changed the 7% commision you made at $100/h to some lame bonus.


I don't know, the person who made the job HELL was the Assistant Manager, and he's long gone. The store honestly looks awesome in comparison to when I left...

The only real problem I have with Radio Shack, aside from completely hating the companies business dealings and such, is Cell Phones.

If you were to walk into a Best Buy and ask a BEST BUY employee about a cell phone, they would direct you to the Cell Phone kiosk in the store, because the cell phone companies that have deals with Best Buy provide THEIR OWN employees.

Radio Shack employees are expected to sell two different companies. I think thats a HUGE conflict of interest.

Not to mention I just don't like selling cell phones. The plans change monthy, the tech updates WEEKLY, and it's just a pain in the ass cause thats damn near the only thing you're told to actually SELL.

But... I can DO the job right? I worked there for a year and a half, and it only got REALLY bad at the end because my girlfriend at the time left me, and the Assistant Manager was just driving me to insanity.


I am back together with my ex (woo hoo), and the assistant manager is gone. I could probably tolerate the job. Maybe it's cause... in some strange way I still feel connected to Radio Shack, like I'm still employed there.

It's weird.

[ladyklack]

Its not weird. Like I said, its been two years for me and I still refer to that place as 'my company' and my former co-workers are still my 'co-workers' and so on.

I've noticed this trend, especially for people who work in electronics, where the company becomes some sort of perverse dysfunctional family. I think that corporate encorages that mentality b/c it makes their best employees feel guilty about leaving, even though they pay us nothing and treat us like crap.

edit* I recently stopped in my old store, one of my friends was swamped with customers and had no help at the counter, so I hopped behind the counter and helped her out. For three or four hours. God I'm lame!